The dental tools, such as the burrs and brushes (files) of high speed and/or low speed dental drill or handpieces, are in wide use, and a dentist will commonly use the same dental tool especially the burrs and brushes for performing several dental operations on different patients in a short period of time. Furthermore, a routine is needed that would help to insure that all portions of a burrs and files, which have been exposed to one patient's mouth, are cleaned of the remained tooth material on the tool prior to sanitize and use with other patients. Such additional procedure would provide one more safeguard against the spread of disease. There is a need for a convenient, economical and effective apparatus/devices to help the dentist and his or her staff to clean (and later to sanitize) the tools between operations on patients.
The various types of the equipment/devices for cleaning of the dental removable tool are well known.
Similar equipment already exists, e.g. that described in U.S. Pat. No. 4,552,163. The medical/dental instrument/tool to be cleaned is placed vertically into a cylindrical chamber and jets of water and/or disinfectant mixed with air, are directed towards the vertical axis of the chamber and strike specific points of the front of the instrument. After striking the instrument, the jets rebound towards the walls of the chamber where gravity causes them to fall downwards. Consequently, there are a number of areas which are not sprayed or only partially sprayed by said liquids, thereby leaving an unwanted bacterial residue. This is particularly true in the lower part of the chamber where (for example, for the case of dental tool cleaning) there are usually areas which are more contaminated by the plaque debris. This is an unresolved and worrying problem.
Another analogous instrument/device for cleaning of a dental, medical or similar tools is described in the U.S. Pat. No. 5,961,937. The device comprises a chamber, preferably frusto-conical in shape or downward tapering, two walls separated by a hollow space, subdivided along axis into smaller spaces. The walls are connected to the interior of the chamber by rings of holes with downward pointing jets, and passing at a predetermined distance from the axis of the chamber. These jets clean/sterilize the entire internal and external surface area of the instrument along it length. The pressure upstream of the holes, their diameter and direction, ensures that the lower and more contaminated part of the instrument is more thoroughly treated.
Specifically, this prior art at the base of the chamber has a normal mesh type filter, which can be easily removed and washed or replaced, and a standard type chamber, operating on the Venturi principle, comprising a pipe, fitted with a nozzle, which blasts a jet of air to remove the contaminated water following the use of an instrument. Pipes lead from the manifold, to the valves control the various stages of the cleaning cycle.
The dirty tool is placed in the chamber without disconnecting it from the electric or pneumatic cable and the water cooling pipe, the reasons for which are twofold. When dental tool is inserted into the chamber, a cellulose pierceable membrane is out in place, impregnated with cleaning (e.g. water) or disinfecting (e.g., chemicals) fluid. This membrane is fixed in position at the opening by means of a ring nut and is pierced when the dirty dental tool is placed inside.
The pierced membrane, is removed on completion of the cleaning cycle before removing the instrument, or else is wound on by means of a miniature motor and is then re-wound into a special container, for dispensing cellulose membrane, which is removed when full.
The pneumatic cylinder or pump aspirates a single dose of cleaning or disinfecting fluid from the cartridge through the chamber, and then sends it on to the loading chamber, controlled by the sensor. The sensor senses the presence of the fluid and allows the cycle to proceed. At the pre-arranged moment, the valve opens, and the single dose is sent to the nebulizer whence it passes into the manifold which sends it on to the cylinder with the help of the valves. During the initial washing and drying stage of the instruments, the valves 3 open and a mixture of air and water is sent through the manifold and washes the dental tool. The air is sent through valve to the discharge point to create an aspiration effect in the chamber. One of the valves then closes and other valves remain open, sending the air to the manifold to dry the instrument and, simultaneously, to the discharge point, to continue the aspiration effect.
The device is of conical or tapered shape (wide at the mouth and narrow at the base). The device also includes four rings and holes, with the passing off center at a predetermined distance, from the axis of the chamber and inclined downwards at a defined angle. Thus, a swirling effect is produced around the dental tool/instrument (e.g. a single dental burr), in a downward direction towards the head of the dental burr, causing solid and non-solid particles on the head to be detached and drawn towards the discharge point. The dimensions of the holes are such that the fluid flowing from them strikes the instrument to be treated with a kinetic force which increases as it flows downwards from the top to the lower part of the chamber where the burr's head, i.e. the most contaminated part, is located. In addition, during the disinfecting cycle, particular attention has been given to the problem of pathogens inside a dental instrument caused, as already mentioned, by the aspirating action of the instrument inside the patient's mouth whilst deactivated, to prevent a loss of the cooling water.
The cleaning apparatus by U.S. Pat. No. 5,415,248 provides the cleaning and/or lubrication of the medical/dental tool. This apparatus for cleaning dental tools includes an instrument connection for blowing oil and/or cleaning agent, possibly in the form of a spray mist, through the instruments and subsequently drying the instruments with compressed air. The control of the various cleaning phases and of the conveyance of the cleaning liquids takes place pneumatically. In particular, a short-term flow of compressed air displaces at least one piston against a spring which causes oil and/or cleaning agent to be pressed into the instrument. A control edge of the piston produces a connection between the compressed air supply and the instrument connection when the piston leaves its upper position of rest. When the piston travels back in the opposite direction under the force of the spring after the short-term flow of compressed air has ended, the supply of oil and/or cleaning agent to the instrument connection is interrupted, while the supply of compressed air is maintained until the piston has again reached its upper position of rest. In the mentioned apparatus an external compressed air is supplied to the apparatus and reaches a tee in which a pressure reduction and/or a purification by means of an inserted filter may be carried out. The compressed air reaches from the tee through a line to an actuating button which starts the cleaning procedure when being pressed down. When the button is pressed downwardly against the force of a spring, the supply of compressed air and the continuing line are connected to each other for a relatively short time, so that compressed air is conducted from the tee through the actuating button to the head of a regulating unit. A piston is provided in the interior of the regulating unit. A spring presses the piston upwardly against the head of the regulating unit. When compressed air is admitted to the regulating unit, the piston is pressed downwardly against the force of the spring, and the piston rod, constructed as a double piston, presses oil into the line and cleaning agent into the line. A return flow of the two fluids into the lines is prevented by check valves in the cleaning agent line and by two analogous check valves in the oil line.
Such apparatus is complex and expensive.
Another apparatus by U.S. Pat. No. 4,892,112 also provides the cleaning and/or lubricating of the medical/dental tool, i.e. the care of dental instruments which is connectable at its inlet to a pressurized gas source and at its outlet to the inlet sleeve of the dental instrument to be serviced, which hand tool is provided with at least one container for receiving the agent and connected to the pressurized gas line leading form the inlet to the outlet of the hand tool. The apparatus permits a troublefree metering in of even highly viscous agents for the care of the instrument and the dispensing of various amounts of the agents. This is achieved by providing a pressure control valve from which a pressurized gas line leads to the outlet of the hand tool downstream of the inlet of the hand tool and by providing at least one pump for conveying the agent, the intake line of the pump being connected with the at least one container for receiving the agent and the pressure line being connected with the pressurized gas line leading to the outlet of the hand tool in a site downstream of the pressure control valve and upstream of the outlet of the hand tool. The apparatus includes a pressurized gas source, preferably the dental unit provided in each dental practice, is connected at the inlet of the hand tool. The tool is plugged onto the turbine tube in place of the turbine angle piece by means of the provided quick-turn coupling, if no such coupling is provided, it is screwed onto the thread of the tube. On actuating the foot pedal of the dental unit, namely on turning on the turbine angle piece not present now, air is introduced into the hand tool with the flow pressure adjusted for the turbine of normally about bar. A pressure control (safety) valve reduces this pressure to about bar without subjecting the tubes of the dental unit to stress. The compressed air is now further conveyed through the pressurized gas line to the outlet where turbine angle pieces and tool holders and angle pieces of the most diverse kinds (not represented), termed dental instruments for short in the following, can be plugged on by means of exchangeable and sealing adapters, for instance the elastic connecting sleeves. The apparatus also comprises two storage containers for cleaning (disinfecting) and lubricating agents from which these cleaning and lubricating agents, called agents for short in the following, are sucked via intake lines by means of two manually actuated reciprocating pumps and can be injected under pressure independently of one another into the pressurized gas line, so that the pressurized gas charges the agents into the dental instrument plugged on. For this purpose, the pressure line emanates from each pump and terminates together with the pressurized gas line in a metering or mixing chamber disposed in flowing direction upstream of the outlet, etc.
This apparatus requires the pump presence and has the same deficiency as the above described apparatus, i.e. such apparatus is complex and expensive.
Another U.S. Pat. No. 5,505,218 provides the cleaning of the dental tool in a washing container filled with liquid, particularly water, using the ultrasonic effect. The device comprises a pot-shaped washing container with a multiplicity of mountings in the interior of the container each for one tool holder/handpiece (tooth drill), a water supply system, with which water can be supplied to the washing container and can also be lead from it, a compressed air supply system, a care agent supply system and an ultrasonic cleaning device, of which only one ultrasonic transducer for applying ultrasound to the washing container is illustrated. The washing container has a supply and discharge line, which is part of the water supply system, and with a water outlet. The following are arranged downstream of each other in the direction of flow, in the water supply line which is connected to a water connection: a first solenoid valve, a pump, a softening device and a condenser. The softening device is connected directly to the water outlet by means of a discharge line in which two solenoid valves are arranged one behind the other, so that the waste water can be directly discharged into the water outlet. Also, device includes the compressed air supply system having five compressed air lines connected in parallel, an electrically powered air heater, etc.
Such apparatus does not provide the cleaning of the dental burrs and brushes and is used for the handpiece and mostly drills cleaning.
The cleaning apparatus for medical and/or dental tool, described in the U.S. Pat. No. 6,948,505. This apparatus provides a possibility to clean the burrs and brushes (files) of the remained tooth material on them after operation on patient. An improved cleaning apparatus for medical and/or dental tool includes a container, comprising a neck with an opening and at least one of a plurality of apertures located in the lower part of the neck, a fluid stream reflector of a lid, which includes a connector comprising inlet pipe, which is coupled by a tubular means with a fluid line via controllable valve. The cleaning apparatus for medical and/or dental tool includes a spherical form container, which includes support rested on the rims of the hollow cylindrical stand connected to the base. Also, the container includes an upper portion (neck) significantly smaller in diameter from the lower portion of the container. The apparatus also includes a gasket and a fluid stream reflector in the form of a ring of the truncate conical configuration. The fluid stream reflector is rigidly connected to the lid. The fluid stream reflector is intended for reflection of the exhausted agent (liquid/water) in the direction down. The neck includes the apertures located in the lower part of the neck. The longitudinal (horizontal) axes of the apertures is coincident with the upper half-portion of the fluid stream reflector. The apparatus has the predetermined ratio of diameter of the container to diameter of the apertures and the predetermined ratio of diameter of the container to inside diameter of the fluid outlet portion to provide the efficient turbulence of the cleaning fluid inside container. The dental tools (e.g., burrs, files, etc.) are placed inside container. The lid, including fluid stream reflector, is assembled with the gasket and connector and coupled with the neck of the container. The container is installed in the cylindrical stand and rested by its support on the rim of the cylindrical stand connected to the base in order to provide the stable position of the container during cleaning process. The excess of the agent is exhausted (outstreamed, drained) from the container through the apertures. The outstream of the excess fluid is reflected by the fluid stream reflector in the direction down. The fluid stream reflector provides the prevention of sprinkle of the excess fluid all over around in the horizontal direction through the apertures.
This cleaning apparatus is complex and expensive
Thus, there is a great need in the art for the improved dental (medical) tool cleaning device, providing non-complex, not expensive, convenient, economical and effective cleaning of the dental tool (e.g. burrs and files/brushes) exposed to one patient's mouth of the remained tooth material, plaque debris on the tool between operations on patients, thereby providing a safeguard against the spread of disease by discharging the contaminated substances and residuals.